Overseas Chinese business-people have made great contribution to China's economic development and are playing an increasingly important role in helping Chinese products gain access to world markets and Chinese enterprises establish a global presence, a senior Chinese official said Monday.

In an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the 8th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention (WCEC), Chairman of All-China Federation of Commerce and Industry Huang Mengfu said the overseas Chinese business-people have made great contribution to China's modernization construction since it adopted the reform and opening- up policy over 20 years ago.

The greatest contribution to China in introducing foreign investment should be with the Chinese entrepreneurs, Huang said, adding that the businessmen not only invested in China themselves, but also introduced a large amount of foreign capital.

He also said the Chinese entrepreneurs are playing an increasingly important role in promoting the setup of bilateral free trade zone and bilateral cooperation within the framework of the World Trade Organization, and in helping the Chinese products gain access to world markets and Chinese firms establish a global presence.

On the 8th WCEC and ties between China and South Korea, Huang said the South Korean government has been actively supporting the event since it was decided at the 7th WCEC two years ago that South Korea was to host the biennial business convention.

The Sino-South Korean relations in politics and economy have enjoyed rapid development and more and more cooperation in economy and trade have been carried out, he said.

He noted that the gathering can both provide better development opportunities for the overseas Chinese businessmen in South Korea and promote bilateral economic and trade ties.

Meanwhile, Huang also said the overseas Chinese entrepreneurs have played a positive role in promoting the peaceful reunification of China.

The businessmen support the one-China principle and believe a strong and unified China is beneficial to them, and they have established councils for the promotion of peaceful national reunification to diffuse the one-China principle, he said.

The three-day 8th WCEC kicked off Monday in Seoul and attracted more than 2,500 Chinese business-people from 30 countries and regions and their 800-plus South Korean counterparts.

(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2005)